Huawei Ascend G7 review

The Huawei Ascend G7 currently has an Informr score of 8.5 out of 10.
This score is based on our evaluation of 9
sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

What's good

Metal unibody design

LTE support

Vivid display

Exceptional battery life

Good camera

What's bad

Mediocre performance

EMUI skin

Screen brightness

Huawei has built a good reputation for power smartphones at affordable prices. Their G series phones have always been a comfortable compromise of price and performance. With the latest, the G7, Huawei is looking to at a more premium feel to their line-up. How does it stack up against a seemingly endless sea of mid-tier competitors? Let’s dig in to what the experts have said!

Without a doubt, every review available for the handset was blown away by its design. When even some flagships are shipping with plastic cases, it’s surprising to see an all-metal unibody shell in the mid-tier market. Not only are the materials right, it would appear design is as well. Recombu praised it, stating that it is, “Tight, slender and perfectly curved.” Some reviews even compared the feel in the hand to an iPhone. Something you certainly wouldn’t expect at this price point.

Continuing the trend, the 5.5-inch 720p IPS display was a favorite as well. While its not the highest resolution available, it is acceptable in its price point. Reviews noted colors were a little warm out of the box but that playing with settings yielding great results. Recombu noted that it is, “Not the brightest panel around.” This was a trend in many reviews. Unfortunately, combined with a high gloss screen, it led many to mention outdoor use was quite difficult.

Reviews on performance were hit-or-miss. With a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, the phone should have no problems with performance on paper. However, a few reviews pointed out issues in even basic operations. PC Advisor UK said that they, “Saw plenty of lag and stutter when navigating around Android.” On the other hand, Notebook Check hit the Play Store and downloaded Asphalt 8. After some time playing, they declared that the G7, “Can confidently be called gaming suitable.”

Many reviews also noted how modified the EMUI skin is on the phone and questioned if the performance issues might lie in the modifications from Huawei and not the hardware itself. If this is the case, a software update could easily unleash the true potential of the device.

Around back, you’ll find a 13MP camera with flash. From HDR to refocusing photos after you’ve taken them, it comes with bells and whistles than you’d usually find reserved for flagship handsets. Front-facing selfies are equally nice with a 5MP lens to capture plenty of detail. Notebook Check put the camera through its paces and declared, “The pictures look razor-sharp, and the colors are reproduced very accurately.”

With 16GB of internal storage, you’ll probably need to take advantage of the microSD card support if you intend to store a large amount of media. Otherwise, it offers plenty of room for common apps and the occasional music or movie binge.

What the phone might lack in performance, it makes up for in staying power. With a 3000mAh battery, and a bit of tinkering behind the scenes from Huawei, the reviews all found exceptional battery life. Even streaming video at full brightness, the shortest time found was a respectable 7.5 hours. Many reviews found a single charge lasted through multiple days of regular usage. Recombu called the G7, “One of the best phones around for battery life.”

Overall, the only thing that reviews truly found to knock the handset for was its resolution. At the same time, many noted that the quality of the display minimized any negative impact. If you’re looking for a solid mid-tier device, Tech Radar proclaims “The Ascend G7 can't be touched when it comes to an all metal body in its price bracket.”

What the Critics Are Saying...

A great-value Android phone that feels like it could cost almost twice as much without getting laughed off the shelf.

- Andrew Williams, TrustedReviews

If you’ve made it this far then well done and thanks for reading! The Ascend G7 is a curious smartphone as it features an all-metal design that’s more familiar on flagship devices but combines the outstanding build with a mid-range specs list. On paper the Ascend G7 should be no better t...

- Nirave, Fone Arena

The Ascend G7 4G is set to retail for about £150 and will be available from Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and other online retailers, believed to be released sometime in the beginning of March
This device should not be overlooked, especially if you’re after a larger screen phone. It feels...

- Ian Furlong, Coolsmartphone

For the most part, the Ascend G7's internals match up to what you'd expect of a mid-range phone. It doesn't pack much graphics power, but does most standard smartphone tasks smoothly - barring the strange slowdowns on the lockscreen and notification menu. Lollipop-style UI elements - such as the nav...

- Robert Zak, AndroidPIT

The metal casing of Huawei's Ascend G7 lets it stick out from the masses of not-quite-phablet smartphones for below 300 Euros. The build fits, the device is thin, and the communication modules have a good reception performance. The decent software with a multitude of options and the good cameras are...

If your Ascend G7 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Huawei support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Huawei's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.

Critic Reviews

A low-key phone that deserves a bit more attention

The Huawei Ascend G7 is one of the best-value large-screen phones available, and provides 80-90% of what you get from a phone twice the price. Ultra-picky experienced Android fans may want to consider something a bit pricier to get a sharper screen and faster processor, but criticising the phone too much for either of these pure tech snobbery. Both the screen and CPU remain very good...

The Huawei Ascend G7 is one of the best-value large-screen phones available, and provides 80-90% of what you get from a phone twice the price. Ultra-picky experienced Android fans may want to consider something a bit pricier to get a sharper screen and faster processor, but criticising the phone too much for either of these pure tech snobbery. Both the screen and CPU remain very good.

This is an excellent example of the "why pay more?" move we’re seeing in phones this year, and it makes a pretty convincing argument. It’s also a sign that the Motorola Moto G 2 is losing its grip on the title of best budget phone around. The Huawei Ascend G7 is slightly more expensive, but aside from its more contentious software, it’s flat-out better. Build and camera are all a generation ahead here.

Buttery smooth performance, excellent build quality and design

If you’ve made it this far then well done and thanks for reading! The Ascend G7 is a curious smartphone as it features an all-metal design that’s more familiar on flagship devices but combines the outstanding build with a mid-range specs list. On paper the Ascend G7 should be no better than other mid-range handsets but Huawei’s design and build ensures a smartphone experience that’s far superior to other mid-range devices on the market...

If you’ve made it this far then well done and thanks for reading! The Ascend G7 is a curious smartphone as it features an all-metal design that’s more familiar on flagship devices but combines the outstanding build with a mid-range specs list. On paper the Ascend G7 should be no better than other mid-range handsets but Huawei’s design and build ensures a smartphone experience that’s far superior to other mid-range devices on the market.

However, the Ascend G7 certainly isn’t perfect as there’s several things that could be improved (as you might expect from a mid-range device). Compared to other low-cost Chinese manufacturers – such as Xiaomi and Gionee – the Ascend G7 has lesser specs but where these manufacturers have limited availability outside of Asia, Huawei aim to make the Ascend G7 available to all.

Whilst the Ascend G7 might have taken its inspiration from other flagship devices, it succeeds in its key aim – to deliver a solid smartphone experience in a package that is both stylish and outstanding without requiring a flagship price tag. At a cost of £150-£200, the Ascend G7 offers an excellent experience without requiring you to break the bank to acquire it.

Well put together, excellent battery life, decent snaps and a good all-rounder

The Ascend G7 4G is set to retail for about £150 and will be available from Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and other online retailers, believed to be released sometime in the beginning of March

This device should not be overlooked, especially if you’re after a larger screen phone....More

The Ascend G7 4G is set to retail for about £150 and will be available from Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and other online retailers, believed to be released sometime in the beginning of March

This device should not be overlooked, especially if you’re after a larger screen phone. It feels more premium than its price tag, with fantastic battery life, and takes some decent photos. If my Note 3 stopped working tomorrow I think the Huawei Ascend G7 4G is where my money would be going.

A big phone at a small price

For the most part, the Ascend G7's internals match up to what you'd expect of a mid-range phone. It doesn't pack much graphics power, but does most standard smartphone tasks smoothly - barring the strange slowdowns on the lockscreen and notification menu. Lollipop-style UI elements - such as the navigation buttons - deceive the fact the Ascend G7 runs KitKat (with no news yet of the Lollipop update), which is worth bearing in mind if you like to keep on top of the latest Android updates...

For the most part, the Ascend G7's internals match up to what you'd expect of a mid-range phone. It doesn't pack much graphics power, but does most standard smartphone tasks smoothly - barring the strange slowdowns on the lockscreen and notification menu. Lollipop-style UI elements - such as the navigation buttons - deceive the fact the Ascend G7 runs KitKat (with no news yet of the Lollipop update), which is worth bearing in mind if you like to keep on top of the latest Android updates.

All in all, the Huawei Ascend G7 is one of the best - and biggest - phones around at this price, and gives the smaller - yet more refined - Moto G (2014) a run for its money.

A rock-solid mid-range phone that will barely disappoint anyone

The metal casing of Huawei's Ascend G7 lets it stick out from the masses of not-quite-phablet smartphones for below 300 Euros. The build fits, the device is thin, and the communication modules have a good reception performance. The decent software with a multitude of options and the good cameras are also very convincing. Huawei's Ascend G7 does not have any real shortcomings in terms of screen, performance or battery life...

The metal casing of Huawei's Ascend G7 lets it stick out from the masses of not-quite-phablet smartphones for below 300 Euros. The build fits, the device is thin, and the communication modules have a good reception performance. The decent software with a multitude of options and the good cameras are also very convincing. Huawei's Ascend G7 does not have any real shortcomings in terms of screen, performance or battery life.

The price:performance ratio is just right in any case, even if the screen's black level could be higher, and the speaker's quality has room for improvement. However, real weaknesses will not be discovered in the Ascend G7 when considering the category standards. Consequently, the buyer will get a rock-solid mid-range device in the best sense.

New, metal mid-range smartphone with 5.5in display

The Huawei Ascend G7 is a reasonably good-looking mid-range smartphone with some stand-out features including the camera and the slim design, but also some big disappointments such as that 720p display. It's definitely worth investigating, but it has some solid rivals including the OnePlus One, the Nexus 5 and the HTC Desire 610.

The Huawei Ascend G7 is a reasonably good-looking mid-range smartphone with some stand-out features including the camera and the slim design, but also some big disappointments such as that 720p display. It's definitely worth investigating, but it has some solid rivals including the OnePlus One, the Nexus 5 and the HTC Desire 610.

Offers pretty much the same experience as the higher-end Mate 7

The Huawei Ascend G7 might not be the most exciting handset, but it’s still an attractive mid-range device that could be perfect for someone lured in by the Mate 7 but looking for something even more affordable. The G7 is expected to price around 299 euros ($387) when it launches in Europe later this year.

The Huawei Ascend G7 might not be the most exciting handset, but it’s still an attractive mid-range device that could be perfect for someone lured in by the Mate 7 but looking for something even more affordable. The G7 is expected to price around 299 euros ($387) when it launches in Europe later this year.

Bringing an all metal monster to the middle market

The Hauwei Ascend G7 is a decent offering from the Chinese firm and it beats its closest rival - the HTC Desire 816 - in both specs and design.

There is a slight issue though, and that's the presence of the OnePlus One - a handset which is set to become more widely available in the coming months. The OnePlus One's superior feature set and surprisingly low price tag may be too much for the Ascend G7 to handle...

The Hauwei Ascend G7 is a decent offering from the Chinese firm and it beats its closest rival - the HTC Desire 816 - in both specs and design.

There is a slight issue though, and that's the presence of the OnePlus One - a handset which is set to become more widely available in the coming months. The OnePlus One's superior feature set and surprisingly low price tag may be too much for the Ascend G7 to handle.

That said, the Ascend G7 can't be touched when it comes to an all metal body in its price bracket, and that could help it sell.

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